10 Modern Office Space Design Tips
The perfect office space is different for every company, but the elements that make an attractive, functional, and fun office space are fairly universal and just need to be added in the right combinations. Here are ten office space design tips to help you create the modern office your company wants:
1) Design Matters (obviously)
Plenty of businesses, both large and small, forget or never learn that good office space design isn’t just about making things look pretty — it’s about creating a productive, pleasing, and functional workspace that people enjoy being part of.
2) Let Employees Run The Show
Allowing employees to bring in personal items, family photos, or even their pets costs nothing — and provides instant benefits. Not only do these objects and animals brighten up a dull office but, by letting your team be themselves at work your company can really start to build a community.
3) Play Anthropologist
How do you choose the environment that’s best for your team? Forget asking them and try watching them instead.
The problem with asking: if people don’t know it’s an option, they’re not going to give it to you as an answer. But if you watch their behaviors, you’ll see patterns emerge that provide clues about how people want to (or not) use the space they’re in.
4) Create Zones
Creating zones with a clear purpose — collaboration, meetings, privacy, etc. — helps make each space more effective. Offices that have lots of “multi-purpose” space often find that those spaces end up having no purpose at all and become cluttered and/or neglected.
5) Brand Your Space
Including company-branded objects and artwork in your office space design is another great way to build community and a sense of identity in your business. Display company-made products, marketing material, or other related items to create a unique feel.
6) Cultivate Buzz
We’ve all experienced the too-quiet office where everyone speaks in hushed tones and whispers. To create a buzz and encourage collaboration, put employees in open spaces and closer proximity.
The buzz and energy created can help motivate and excite employees that would otherwise be siloed and unengaged.
7) One Person Does Not Equal One Desk
Think you need one desk per team member? Think again. The mobile workforce has rendered this idea obsolete, which is good news for cash-strapped small-business owners. It frees up money for more creative office space design.
Many business owners still incorporate the idea of one desk per person into their cost structure, but with mobile work, when you walk into most places, how many desks are actually used at any given time? Often up to 60 percent of desks can go.
8) Plant(s) And Play
Adding plants and natural material to your office space design is a small change that can pay big dividends. Studies show that plants and natural light have beneficial health effects and can boost creativity.
Also, games can be a great outlet for employees to relax and reset before charging back into work. Ping-pong tables, billiards, and similar games can actually boost productivity by allowing employees to relax and relieve stress.
9) Create Creative Opportunities
If your business relies heavily on employee creativity, it’s important to give them as many outlets to be creative as possible. Whiteboard walls, sketch paper, pencils, pens, and even crayons can encourage employees to experiment and be creative in the office.
10) Don’t Rush In
Yes, good office space design is important, but equally important is not to rush in and try and accomplish everything all at once — especially for businesses on a limited budget. Take your time, evaluate your business and culture, and work with an experienced office space design professional to help you create the space your business needs.